Every day, a quarter of a million drivers pass through the Loop 1604 and Interstate 10 interchange.
Situated in far Northwest San Antonio, the two major highway systems connect near, well, everything: La Cantera, The Rock and the Rim, Valero headquarters and hospitals, UTSA’s main campus and an entertainment district that includes Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Topgolf and several restaurants.
But it’s not just a destination. Half the vehicles that pass through the area also travel the connector ramps of a highway cloverleaf system that’s outdated, according to the Texas Highway Man blog site.
“Cloverleafs in general are now considered passé in heavy traffic areas as they simply cannot handle contemporary traffic volumes,” stated the Highway Man.
As part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s widening of a 2.8-mile stretch of Loop 1604 from a four- to 10-lane expressway and adding high-occupancy vehicle lanes, the project will replace the existing highway connections with a five-level interchange and new modern flyovers taller than a 10-story office tower.
Drivers who travel Loop 1604 regularly have been forced since last year to cope with frequent lane and exit closures and added congestion. The work to improve that section of the loop won’t be complete until 2027. It is expected to reduce traffic congestion by 76%.
A portion of the project’s $418 million cost is going toward keeping traffic moving during construction along those critical corridors, said a Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman.
The flyovers are designed to provide higher-speed connections and continuous connectivity between I-10 and Loop 1604, an interchange where traffic volumes are expected to double by 2045.
Also distinctive is what’s planned for beneath the interchange, said Clayton Ripps, advanced transportation planning director at TxDOT, speaking a recent meeting of the San Antonio City Council’s transportation committee.
In addition to turnarounds and roundabouts to encourage continuous traffic flow, the surface parking beneath the interchange will be expanded to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists using the city’s linear trail system.
The Valero trailhead of the Leon Creek Greenway is located at the southwest quadrant of the intersection. Another trailhead is located with the Rim development northeast of the interchange.
The underpass is also being designed to improve access to VIA Metropolitan Transit’s Park & Ride, a service provided to commuters in that location since 2002. The site is currently closed due to highway construction with bus transfers relocated to UTSA and the Rim shopping center.
A VIA spokeswoman said that when construction is completed, the Park & Ride will reopen with 185 parking spaces — more than double what’s there now — plus a bus lane, boarding platform, bicycle parking and electric vehicle charging stations.
